Stake puller



March 1, 1960 J. E. MAJORS STAKE FULLER Filed June 14, 1957 I /4 H q z m :1Ilimp.iimuiii... i u u m m Q J- Ji 1 IILLPILN L J D H 4 s m 1 7 5 9 L .-I A

l Ill-I'll INVENTOR. JACK E, MAJORS LE-3J3; EL.

ATTORNEYS in the appended claims.

'Fig'ure 2 is a plan view of a part of the stakepuller and illustrates in full size the U-shaped bite, a portion.

STAKE PULLER Jack E. Majors, Santa Cruz, Calif. l Applicafion June 14, 1957,.Serial News 4 Claims. (Cl. 254-132 The present invention relatesto improvements in a stake puller; and it consists of the combinations, cone structions and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

The usual way to remove stakes thatare driven into the ground to hold concrete forms in place is to take a heavy hammer, railroad pick or wrecking bar, and beat and pry upon the stake until it comes free from the ground. This method is not onlyimake-shift and dangerous, but it soon converts an otherwise orderlygroup of workmen into a confused group of men that interfere witheachotherr A i l An object of my invention is 'to provide a handoperated stake puller that has a U-shaped bite bar, or

stake-gripping member, pivoted to the short'arm of a lever-handle and designed to grip and liftfa stakewhen the lever-handle is swung in one direction, and to slide downwardly on the stake into a new position when the A further object of my invention is to provide a stake puller of the type described, which is simple in construction, durable and efilcient for the purpose intended.

The device can be made of differentsizes for pulling stakes that vary in cross-sectional area. h Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features will beset forth v Drawing For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which: i

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the stake puller, shown on a small scale, and illustrating how itcan belused for pulling a stake from the ground;

lifting the stake when the lever-handle is swung in a counterclockwise direction on its fulcrum pedestal.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes,

or modifications, may be made within the scope of the annexed claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

Description In carrying out my invention, I provide a lever-handle A, that is elongated as shown in Figure 1, and has a .cylindrical-shaped pedestal B welded thereto at 1. I do .zuot wish to be limited to any particular size of lever- 2,926,890 Patented Mar. 1, 1960 "ice handle, but i have found that if it is 27%" long and%" wide, and made of tool steel rod, a serviceable strong handle will be the result. The lever-handle may be hexagonal in cross-section and preferably has a cant of 29?. occurring about 3%" from the endof the short arm A torthe cylindrical pedestal B.

The pedestal B is welded to the underside of the lever-handle A, as shown at 1, and the short arm A of the lever-handle,is curved: in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 3. A more satisfactory Working performance of the toolresults when the short arm A of the leverhandle A is curved in this manner. The hand-grip end ofthe lever-handle A is provided with a nail-claw end A (see Figure 1) so that the tool may be reversed and the.nail-claw end used for removing nails and spikes.

Figure 2 shows a U-shaped steel bite C, or stake-= gripping member, that has two parallel sides 2 and 3, and an interconnectingtransverse portion 4. The side 2 carries a pair of downwardly-extending integral ears 5. and 6, which are spaced from each other,.and have aligned openings 7 and 8 therein. The short arm A of the leverhandle is reduced inwidth at itslower endandis provided with 'a transverse bore 9of thesame diameter as the openings or bores 7 and 8, and is aligned with these bores. A pivot bolt D has its shank passed through the aligned bores 7, 9 and 8, and in this way the steel bite C is pivoted to the lever-handle A. The stake-gripping member C, when in stake-engaging position, lies in a slightly inclined plane with the side 2. being disposed above the pivot bolt D. Thereforepthe member C will tend to swing in a clockwise direction.

The side 2 of the steel bite C has an inner edge 2a that makes an obtuse angle with the upper surface 2b of this side. A jaw E, angle-shaped in cross-section, is removably secured to the top surface 211 of the side 2, by cap screws 9, or other suitable fastening means. The

jaw E has a length equal to the length of the side 2, and

the jaw has an angled portion E that covers the inner edge 2a throughout its length. The outer surface of the portion E has longitudinally-extending teeth 10 formed therein. The teeth are shaped for permitting the steel bite to slide downwardly overa stake F, but to frictionally engage with the stake for lifting it when the steel bite C is moved upwardly. At the same time, the lower iriner'corner edge 11 of the side 3 will frictionally grip the opposite side of the stake F from that engaged by the teeth 10. Practically all of theteeth 10 will engage with the stake side due to the angle made by the portion E of the jaw.

. Operation In Figure l, I show an outer form G and an inner form H, for receiving concrete .therebetween that provides a concrete foundation J. A stake F is illustrated as being driven into the ground K for holding the outer form G in place. After the concrete. foundation has set, it is necessary to remove the stakes F.

I show the stake puller with its steel bite C slipped down over that portion of the stakerF that projects above the top of the outer form G. The fulcrum-pedestal B rests on the upper surface 12 of the concretefoundation I. A downward swingingof the long arm of the leverhandle A, about the fulcrum-pedestal B, will cause the short arm A to lift the steel bite C. The steel bite C, when engagingwith the stake F, is' positioned" above the pivot bolt D, and will tend to rock in'a clockwise direction about the pivot bolt D, as the bite is lifted, and this will cause the jaw E and the corner 11 to grip opposite sides of the stake with sufficient force to prevent the bite C from slipping upwardly on the stake. The result will be a vertical lifting of the stake F. The fulcrum-pedestal.

assess".

- 3 B may slide slightly over the surface 12 during this movement. a

If the stake l is not freed from the ground on this first upward pull of the stake-gripping member, the operator th'en SlVii-lgS the leverhandl'e' A i-rithe opposite direction. Thiswill slide the steel bite C downwardly on the stake F into a new position. The first operation on the leverhandle A is then repeated for lifting't-he stake an additional distance. A repeated swinging of the lever-handle A, in both directions, will gradually work the stake F out of the ground-until it is freed. The teeth 1ft of the jaw E are provided primarily for pulling metal stakes out of the ground. Stakes made of wood-iron or steel can be gripped bymy stake puller'and quickly and easily removed from the ground.

The U-shaped stake-gripping member C will have its inner side 2 positioned above the pivot bolt D, when the handle by said pivot means, said stake gripping member member receives a stake F: This will cause the outer side 3 to. substantially lie in a horizontal plane that extends through the axis. of the pivot bolt D; and, therefore, the member (3 will tend to swing downwardly into a stakegripping position as soon as the member starts moving upwardly; l

It will be seen from Figure 3 that the axis of. the -cylin-. dricaleshaped fulcrum-pedestal B is disposed at a higher elevation than the axis. of the .pivot bolt D, when the leverhandle is .ina. normal. upwardly-inclined position at the beginning. of a downward stroke. for pulling the stake F out of the ground. The curve in the short lever arm A will dispose the .pivot bolt D slightly belowthe axis of the fulcrumspedestal B. The inner side 2 of the U-shaped 'stake gripping member 0 will be disposed substantially in the same horizontalplane thatextends through the pedestal axis, when the member lgripsia. stake F. Therefore, a downward. rocking. of the longer lever arm will exert the greatest upward lift on the member C. It will be seen that when the fulcrum-pedestal B rests on the upper surface 12 of; the concrete foundation I, both the pivot bolt D and the stake-grippingmember C will be disposed a slight distance above the surface 12 when the member receives a stake F. Therefore, the stake can be gripped effectively, even thoughits upper end projects only slightly above the concrete foundation.

The pedestal B has a cylindrical outer surface concentric with an axis extending transverse the lever handle.

Further, the stake gripping member is connected to the lever handle. by a single pivotonly. A series of levers and pivots as known in the .prior art has been dispensed with to obvious advantage. in the functioning of the stake puller. Connection of the. puller to the stake is rendered much easiersince it is only necessary to control one freely pivotal member'in making the connection. It is further to be noted that the pedestals surface constitutes a rocking base on this unitary fixed portion of the lever handle and does not comprise relatively moving parts. This not only simplifies construption and operation, but general handling of the puller. It is obviously simpler, can be placed in trucks or pulled out of the trucks for use much easier, setup time is substantially eliminated, and further, obviously manufacturing costs are. greatly reduced as compared with heretofore known pullers. The

rocking base. formed by the pedestal permits the free rocking of the lever handle on any supporting portion adjacent the stake and also permits the movement of the fulcrum toward the stake as the latter is pulled upe jdly- Islets;

desks. P11119 sq p s is a e e Bead e a d l e handle havinga long lever arm and ashort lever arm. and a fulcrum, said fulcrum comprising a member attached to the bottom of said lever handle, said lever handle hav ing a longitudinal axis, said fulcrum member having a lower cylindrical surface formed concentric with an axis extending transversely with respect to said axis of said lever handle, said cylindrical surface being positioned under the lever handle and adapted to contact a supporting surface adjacent a post to be pulled and being freely slidable over said surface, a single pivot means mounted in the short lever arm and forming a fixed axis and a stake gripping member directly connectedtov said lever comprising a pair of spaced sides extending substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the lever handle, said cylindrical surface forming a rocking base for said puller for rocking of said lever handle thereon to raise a post engaged with said gripper member, said pivot means axis being positioned above said. longitudinal axis, of

said 'leverhandle and the center of rotation of said cylindrical surface being positioned below the longitudinal axis, the relationship between said center of rotation and the first mentioned axis being such that when said cy1indrical surface is in contact with a horizontal surface and said handle is rotated upward with respect thereto the fixed axis will lie below the horizontal plane containing said center of rotation of said cylindrical surface whenjthe handle has. been moved to its maximum upward position and the end of the stake puller oppositesaid long lever arm contacts the said surface.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the short lever arm is curved upwardly from a point on the, leverhandle disposed adjacent to the fulcrum. M p

' 3-. The combination of claim 1 including said stake gripping member having a pair of depending ears, said ears being. connected to, said lever handle by said pivot means and said stake gripping member being above said ears.

4. A stake puller comprising a lever handle, said lever handle having a long lever arm and a short lever arm and a fulcrum, said fulcrum comprising a member attached to the bottom, of said handle, said fulcrum having a lower cylindrical surface formed concentric with an axis extendingtransversely with respect to the lever handle, said short lever arm being canted with respect 't o said long lever arm with the end of said short lever arm being positioned to the opposite side of said handle with respect to said fulcrum and to one side of said long lever arm, fpivot means fixed in said end of said short lever arm, a stake gripping member directly connected to said lever handle by said pivot means, said stake gripping member comprising an element adapted to. grasp a post received within said gripping member, said stake grippingmember further comprising. a pair of integral ear members extendingdownwardly from said stake gripping member along one side thereof, said stake gripping memher ears having means pivotally connecting said stake gripping member to said pivot means at a point spaced beneath one'side' of; said stake gripping member. 

